Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad reviewed on Friday, her ministry’s plan to combat the black cloud and the preparations for the Rice harvest season and its impacts on the quality of air.

Egypt faces a cloud of smog every year dubbed “black clouds” following the rice harvesting, in summer months. The black cloud is a result of burning huge amounts of rice straw in the cultivated land in the Nile Delta.

During a meeting with the ministry’s officials, Fouad discussed procedures for combating severe air pollution periods. These procedures include coordination between governorates to stop activities that contaminate the environment, inspect industrial buildings, and prevent waste burning.

The plan also includes coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture to collect and recycle rice straw, as well as guiding farmers on how to benefit from rice straw.

During a meeting with the heads of the ministry’s sectors, Fouad stressed the importance of implementing the agricultural waste recycling system, to exploit the maximum available benefit from it through innovative tools and solutions.

The ministry is working on setting rules to enable youth and private sector to engage in the environmental sector, raising the environmental awareness, providing job opportunities, and providing funds for environmental investment, in addition to pointing out to stories of success in the environmental work.